He is a former account executive with the Hattiesburg American. He is a 2014 graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi's College of Arts and Letters. He majored in entertainment industry management and minored in business management.

His parents are Robert and Jill Plunkett of Amory and Tony and Heather White of Birmingham, Alabama.

What advice would you give people who want to get into the same line of work as you? Stay on track. Professional growth doesn’t necessarily occur in a linear pattern — things happen that will knock you off your game, but don’t stop. Consistently move forward and learn from your mistakes as much as you do your successes. Be creative and diligent while remembering to try not to sweat the small stuff. Most importantly, build relationships and never be too proud to perform the grunt work to gain experience.

Why did you choose to live and work in Hattiesburg area? I first came to the 'Burg in 2012 for school, transferring from Itawamba Community College in north Mississippi. I fell in love with the community and its welcoming attitude to diversity across every walk of life. When I hear people complain that there’s nothing to do in Hattiesburg — it’s on them. This city is full of incredible people doing phenomenal things, and I’m blessed to play a small part in the community (plus, tacos from Compadres didn’t hurt).

What do you do in your free time? Stay social. I mentioned earlier the importance of building relationships, both professional and personally. This happens not always in the office, but at the Keg and Barrel or at a show at the Thirsty Hippo. Supporting local music, artists, restaurants and organizations isn’t only important — it’s a blast at the same time. It’s hard to meet a stranger in this town.

If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why? That’s a hard one — I’m a pop culture nerd. David Bowie would most likely be my top one. There are plenty of historical figures I admire greatly — political figures, musical icons, business leaders — but I can’t think of any that have inspired and had a greater impact on me than the lyrics of Bowie (Stevie Nicks is a close second).

If you could go back 10 years and give a younger you tips or advice on life, work or anything in general, what would it be? Well, there are plenty of things a younger version of myself could have been told, but he probably wouldn’t have listened. However, a few things come to mind — learn that every step of life cannot be planned for. Ten years ago I was a kid in high school "stressing" out over whether or not I should live in a dorm or apartment at Ole Miss. (I put the word stressing in quotation marks because it’s funny to think about what we thought was important at the time … try having a mortgage.) I never attended Ole Miss — hence an example of sweating the small stuff. Travel more — as much as humanly possible. I studied abroad as a student at USM and as cliche as it sounds, it changed my life. It’s so, so important to see how other cultures live and to witness it firsthand that the world doesn’t revolve around north Mississippi. Also, enjoy every step of the journey.